Many teachers are frustrated because not only are they not paid what they are worth they are now being lead down the professional development pathway of “Class in a Box” as stated by Terrance Moore; “whomever controls the test controls the Curriculum.”
COMMON CORE 101: WHAT IS IT AND HOW DOES IT AFFECT OUR CHILDREN?
“In school work that comes home, we see how foundational math, taught in a spiral fashion to build on concepts from grade to grade, is gone. This is replaced by math lattices, ladders, and linguistics-based long-winded division and distributive property word problems loaded up with social issues, like the “heroin habit” high school math homework that made the rounds. This is only the tip of the iceberg and one reason that critics like Michelle Malkin call it “Rotten to the Core.”
FACT: Texas Has Increased Education Spending Under Lt. Gov David Dewhurst Even When Inflation Is Factored In:
Texas Increased Education Spending By 73 Percent (20 Percent When Adjusted For Inflation) Since Lieutenant Governor Dewhurst Took Office. “The [Texas] budget board’s chart shows $10.9 billion in state spending on the schools in 2002 and $18.9 billion in 2012, for a 73 percent difference, or a little more than Perry’s declared 70 percent. Adjusting for inflation, though, reduces the increase to 20 percent. In 2004 dollars, such spending was $14.2 billion in 2012, compared to $11.8 billion in 2002.” (W. Gardner Selby, PolitiFact Texas, 1/16/13)
FACT: Texas Is Well Above Average In Per Capita State And Local Education Spending, Even Before Cost-Of-Living Is Factored In:Texas’ State And Local Per Capita Education Spending Was Ranked 15th Best (And Above The National Average) In Per-Capita Education Spending According To The NEA. (“Rankings Of The States 2012 And Estimates Of School Statistics 2013,” National Education Association, P. 52, 2013)
“David Dewhurst knows that the future of Texas is being forged in our classrooms every day. Lt. Governor Dewhurst has been a long time supporter of improving public education, and supporting our good teachers. Dewhurst has championed and passed pay increases for Texas teachers.Today our average teacher salary in Texas is over $50,000 a year. Dewhurst has led in passing incentive pay for Texas teachers, and he is a strong advocate for merit pay, paying our successful good teachers higher salaries. Lt. Governor Dewhurst knows, as we all do, that there is more involved in improving public education than simply raising salaries, although compensating teachers sufficiently is a key factor, as Dewhurst noted this week in his comment to the press, “If I had my way, I’d pay teachers more so we would have a tsunami of good applicants and end up with the best and brightest in our classrooms.”TTCA has never heard Lt. Governor Dewhurst speak to teachers without starting and finishing his remarks with the words, “Bless your hearts for what you do!”.
Engage2Learn seems more interested in signing many contracts with Texas School districts while reaping a nice profit along with Transforming Texas School into the Common Core philosophy of all PBL instead of equipping Texas children with a solid foundational education and paying teachers to teach not “facilitate children designing their own learning experience.” As Ginger Russell wrote: “In Decatur ISD’s website there is a tab at the top titled FUTURE READY. You will see various resources of the districts transformation agenda.Under PARTNERS it shows the following organizations, Apple and Connected Consulting. George Saltsman works with Connected Consulting and is a policy advisor to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).” SCARY!!
“My school district is choosing new math and science curriculum. Tomorrow, Wednesday, there will be an open house at the district office, 4-7, for parents to come by and look at the district’s choices. Last Friday I left a voice mail for the EISD director in charge of math and science curriculum asking for a list so I could do my own research before tomorrow. She just returned my call this morning.
She brought up common core. She said that other states had aligned their standards with common core, but not Texas. Then she said we were aligning the TEKS to common core because it was more rigorous. Ha! So I said wait a second. You just told me Texas did not approve common core, why are we aligning our TEKS to it? She said because of the rigor. I said from what I had read about common core it was much less rigorous.”
“Visited my son’s classroom. Took picture of this. They use these daily. The teacher said “This is not curriculum. Texas does not use Common Core.” Now she said that after just sharing these books with me that our kids use every day. She said they were supplemental. She also said Common Core curriculum is more rigorous. I didn’t challenge her. She is a good teacher. But I’m frustrated once again.”
#CanISee Movement hits Frisco, Tx. Take the time to listen to this Dad and ask yourself have I been looking close enough to what my children are learning in school. Listen all the way through and learn from Dr. Stan Hartzler as he explains what is happening in Math in Texas and across the country
#CanISee™© is joining Stop CommonCore in NYS to ask “Governor Perry, #canIsee™© if you can do this College and Career Ready/Common Core homework?” Read the article below and you will understand the call to action.
“OK WARRIORS…..Time to TAKE ACTION……..Our children suffer each night with abusive, age inappropriate homework that destroys both their self-esteem and their freedom to truly learn. We want all of you to send your children’s homework via email or regular mail, every night to the man who continues to make this happen …Perry….Title the email/mail ” CAN YOU DO THIS because Our Children Can’t” and let him get a taste of the suffocating, mind-numbing curriculum that will enslave their impressionable minds…..It’s Simple, It’s Quick and it’s for YOUR CHILDREN….Flood him with emails daily or send weekly updates to him.”
